Ministry of Education
IIT Kharagpur Researchers Recommend for Scientific and Uniform Nationwide Speed Management to Reduce Fatal Road Accidents
Kolkata, August 1, 2022
Researchers from IIT Kharagpur have recently submitted recommendations based on road geometry & traffic characteristics for scientific and uniform nationwide speed management to reduce fatal road accidents to the West Bengal government. India has always been on the edge when it comes to road safety and speed management. Even with new policy reforms and measures to curb road accidents, a total of 3,66,138 road accidents caused the loss of 1,31,714 lives in 2020 as per the statistics of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways . 1.2 lakh deaths were reported by the National Crime Records Bureau  for the same year as deaths caused by accidents. The persistently high annual death toll brings into question the country’s ability to meet Sustainable Development Goal  3.6, which aims to halve the fatalities and injuries from road traffic accidents by 2030. Despite Covid-induced restrictions, on-road travel accident severity value i.e. persons killed per 100 accidents was 36 in 2020, up from 33.7 in 2019.
In its policy document, IIT Kharagpur recommended the constitution of State and district road safety councils comprising of various departments regarding scientific fixing of speed limits and erection of road signage, engineering initiatives, audit of existing speed management measures, study of accidents, speed monitoring, strict implementation of guidelines and mass public awareness about road safety. The state administration is known to have accepted the suggestions in principle but there is a need for nationwide and uniform implementation.
The document submitted by the Institute observed that a majority of the road stretches in the country, both in urban and rural areas have mixed traffic, absence of lane discipline, uncontrolled access, roadside development and activities and a significant share of vulnerable road users. New global and country-level estimates suggest that routinely wearing helmets and seat belts, obeying speed limits, and avoiding driving drunk could save between 347,000 and 540,000 lives worldwide every year, said a study published in The Lancet.
Professor Bhargab Maitra, Civil Engineering Department, IIT Kharagpur who led a team of professors in formulating the document said, “We have made the recommendations based on road geometry, traffic characteristics and roadside environment. Although there are several Indian Roads Congress  guidelines which may be followed for better traffic management, the lack of a comprehensive and uniform speed management policy is an important concern in the Indian context.” He added, “In 2021, MoRTH proposed a reduction of road accidents and fatalities by 50 per cent by 2024. Speed management may provide the scope of bringing down the severity of road accidents. Keeping in mind the reality of traffic on Indian roads, it is essential to revisit and set appropriate speed limits to enhance road safety.”
Professor Maitra further stated that keeping in mind the reality of traffic on Indian roads, it is essential to revisit and set appropriate speed limits to enhance road safety. Hence, the implementation of IIT Kharagpur’s recommendations will be beneficial with the ongoing massive road development across the country, he opined.